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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. plane — a tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cap — of ice
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com